The Town Clerk serves as the Register of Vital Records and Statistics for the Town of Great Barrington. The Clerk accepts for filing, and maintains the records of all births and deaths as well as filings for marriage licenses that occur in Great Barrington as well as birth and death records of residents that occur in another community within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Providing certified copies of these records is an important service provided by the Town Clerk’s Office. The fee for a certified copy of a birth, marriage or death record is $10.00. The Public Records Law allows ten (10) days to fulfill a request for a public record, however, in most cases we are able to accommodate your request within a day.
REQUESTING A VITAL RECORD
The records for Great Barrington’s births, marriages and deaths begin with the year 1850 and continue to present. Copies may be obtained in person or by mail. A written request must contain the names(s) of the person the record is about as well as the date of the event. A check made payable to the Town of Great Barrington for $10.00 as well as a self addresses stamped envelope must be included. Please see the Request for a Vital Record form. Please mail requests to:
Town Clerk’s Office
334 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Under Massachusetts law the marital status of the parents determines the accessibility of a vital record. If the record is that of a child born out of wedlock, then the document is restricted. The record may only be issued to the people’s names that appear on the record (mother, child and father if named). If you are requesting a certified copy of a restricted record, you will be required to produce a picture ID prior to obtaining the document. If you are requesting a restricted document by mail a notarized statement will be required stating who you are and your relationship to the subject of the record along with a photo copy of your picture ID.
State Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
If you are not sure whether the record you seek is filed locally, you may contact the State Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. The Registry maintains a central index and has copies of records of all births, deaths and marriages that occurred in Massachusetts.
Certified copies may be obtained from the Registry in person, by mail or by phone. You should be prepared to provide the name of the subject(s) of the record, the date of the event and if known the city or town where the event occurred.
Their mailing address is:
Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
150 Mount Vernon Street, 1st Floor
Dorchester, MA 02125-3105
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